Die uitvloei van millenniër-Christene uit baie kerke op internasionale en plaaslike vlak
veroorsaak in heelwat kringe bekommernis en onsekerheid. Dié kommer en onsekerheid word
in Suid-Afrika versterk deur ’n gebrek aan kontekstuele navorsing wat akademici en gemeentes
kan begelei in hul bediening aan kerklos millenniër-Christene. Hierdie navorsing en artikel
bied ’n stem in hierdie gesprek deur die geloofspraktyke van kerklos millenniër-Christene
vanuit hul gebede te bestudeer, met behulp van die aksioom lex orandi, lex credendi (die reël
van aanbidding is die reël van geloof). Die uiteindelike doel is om te kyk hoe daar oor
millenniërs se aanbidding herbesin kan word.
Osmer (2008) se model vir praktiese teologiese ondersoek word as metodologie gebruik om ’n
chiastiese beweging te vorm wat beweeg vanaf die praktyk van kerklos millenniër-Christene
se gebede (lex orandi), tot by hul geloofsoortuigings (lex credendi) en uiteindelik terug na die
manier waarop daar saam met millenniërs aanbid word. Gegronde teorie word ook as
metodologie gebruik in die ontleding van die gebedsjoernale, waardeur “God, die Versorger,
met ons” as ’n kerngeloofsoortuiging van kerklos millenniër-Christene geïdentifiseer word.
Tog word daar bevind dat ou Godsbeelde nuwe betekenisse in nuwe kontekste kry, en om
hierdie rede is nuwe benaderings tot ontmoetings met God nodig.
Die begrippe en terme anateïsme, ana-ekklesia en analeitourgia word gebruik om nuut te dink
oor die wyse waarop God ontmoet word, waarop daar met mekaar vergader word en hoe God
in die alledaagse beleef word. Rituele word as begin- en eindpunt in die herbesinning van aanbidding saam met kerklos millenniër-Christene voorgestel. Dit is met behulp van rituele dat
die kerk kan beweeg na ’n alternatiewe, gegronde geloofsgemeenskap wat God in die
alledaagse en in die vreemde(ling) ontmoet.
As of late the church, globally and locally, has expressed concern regarding the absence of the
millennial generation in its pews. National and international trends indicate that millennials (of
whom many have a church background) are leaving the traditional church – thereby becoming
“churchless”. However, research indicates that this trend mostly reflects millennials’ rejection
of the church and not the rejection of the Christian faith itself. Therefore there is a need to
rethink worship with the millennial generation.
The lack of South African research on millennials and their relationship with the church
complicates the task of addressing this need. South Africa’s context differs significantly from
those of other countries, so that it would be reckless to apply international research to
South African millennials without first contextualising the data.
This research seeks to be a local voice in the discussion about millennials and the church by
addressing the following research question: What insights can the prayer practices of
churchless millennial Christians offer into their faith practice if the axiom lex orandi, lex
credendi (the rule of prayer/worship is the rule of faith) is employed? A second question also
presents itself: How can worship with millennials subsequently be reconsidered?
The axiom lex orandi, lex credendi is used to indicate the interdependent relationship between
worship and faith. Following this axiom, prayer both reflects and forms faith. Thus, a chiastic
movement can be employed to move from the prayer practices (lex orandi) of churchless millennial Christians towards their faith convictions (lex credendi) and back again to possible
forms of worship (lex orandi) with this generation. Such a movement also fits Osmer’s model
(Osmer 2008, Practical theology: An introduction) for practical theological interpretation, the
primary methodology chosen for this research.
In this research the analysis of the prayer practices of a sample of churchless millennial
Christians served as the descriptive-empirical task of Osmer’s model. Grounded theory was
used as the methodology for this specific part of the research. Grounded theory, as an inductive
methodology, is unique in its focus on theory generation and the authenticity of the data.
By coding the prayer journals of both churchless and churchgoing millennial Christians,
categories within prayer were identified and used to generate a theory on the faith convictions
of churchless millennial Christians. The authors of these prayer journals became co-researchers
in this research project as they entered into a form of auto-ethnography in recording their own
prayer practices.
The theory generated from the coding and analysis suggests that churchless millennial
Christians believe in God, the One who cares for and is with us. This image of God consists of
two main ideas, namely God as the provider and God as a relational and immanent God.
Furthermore, it was found that churchless millennial Christians have prayer practices that are
fluid in terms of both their structural and spatial components. Many co-researchers indicated a
free-flowing structure in their prayers, often accompanied by unconventional spaces such as the dance floor, the mall, and the bathroom. This seems to affirm the faith conviction of an
immanent God.
This image of God, the One who cares for and is with us may very well be a faith conviction
expressed throughout the Bible, but the new and unique contexts of churchless millennial
Christians give new meanings to an old idea. An overview of the contexts of this generation
(in terms of factors such as technology, relationships, education and world events) indicates
that the categories that emanate from the prayers of millennials have new nuances that ought
not to be overlooked.
It can be said that churchless millennial Christians face a wide range of losses that hinder their
access to “the good life”. These losses are comparable to the locust plagues in the Biblical book
of Joel. In order to guide millennials through their unique context and experience of loss, a new
approach to worship is necessary. Such a new approach moves away from a church-centred
paradigm where the focus lies on getting millennials back into the pews. Rather, the missional
paradigm is called for in which the church gathers in the absence of the church (building) in
order to lament, mourn and pray. Such an approach is made possible through the concept of
anatheism. Anatheism is focused on seeking God on the other side of traditional ideas of God. Or, put another way: “Seeking God after the death of God”. Essentially, this concept embraces
the fears and doubts people might have concerning God in order to meet God as a Stranger.
The anatheistic approach asks the church to move away from the role of an all-knowing
authority on God that should be approached in order to receive God. Rather, it encourages an
understanding of the church as part of the community of not-knowing, who receive God in
humility through hospitality towards the God unknown. Such an approach of not-knowing
encourages curiosity and a search for God that yearns to be satisfied. In this approach, doubt
may even be encouraged, as it opens the door to new encounters with God. Such an approach
does not call the church to silence, but rather towards humility. It is an invitation to let go of
the pressure of being in control and instead join a greater community of seekers. Perhaps the
church may even encounter, along with churchless millennial Christians, the compassionate
and immanent God whom Joel proclaims.
Anatheism reminds Christians that all need to seek God beyond God. But churchless millennial
Christians are a stark reminder to the church that it is time to seek the church beyond the church.
The church is called to find its identity as church beyond the current formats of being church.
One could call it a call towards ana-ekklesia. The missional church defines its identity in the
light of its being sent out into the world. Its existence is thus not solely dependent on its
functionality as a consumer item within this world. Instead, the church’s identity lies in its task to guide others into the greater story of God and God’s people. The Reformed Church’s name
and credo of semper reformanda serves as an incentive to rethink, reimagine and reform its
ways. Similarly, the challenge of the millennial generation is not necessarily directed at the
church, but at its format. In fact, communities of believers gather in many places outside the
church and hence the whereabouts of the (traditional) church could be questioned just as much
as the whereabouts of the churchless millennial Christians.
It is amidst anatheism and ana-ekklesia that analeitourgia is found. This is the art of recognising
and creating alternative liturgies that are not reliant on the church building or traditional rituals.
Research shows that Christians’ liturgies are often found in everyday places and in everyday
activities. The dichotomic separation of secular and sacred no longer holds water. Instead, churches are invited to move into people’s lived theologies towards greater understanding, but
also greater participation in the sacrality of the everyday. Therefore, churches are called to both
acknowledge and help form missional liturgies and rituals that can move beyond the church
walls, beyond the conventionally sacred. In order for churches to do this, five acts are
suggested.
The first is to identify rituals (whether conventionally sacred or secular) that play a big role in
churchless millennial Christians’ lives and to understand the function of these rituals –
specifically in terms of the manner in which they relate to experienced losses or the celebration
of the good life. This forms part of the level of analeitourgia. Churches, all members being
included, are then invited to join millennials in these spaces during these rituals in order to
build relationships and become a part of their spiritual “tribes”. This second act is on the level
of ana-ekklesia, as new formats of being church are explored. As part of the anatheistic level,
churches are invited to receive God as the Stranger. This third act is an act of discernment. It
is because of this discernment that churches can re-enter the level of ana-ekklesia in joining
the Spirit in God’s mission. New ways of joining the Spirit among churchless millennial
Christians are then pursued as a fourth act. The final act is to return to the level of analeitourgia
when the church humbly engages with churchless millennial Christians in challenging and
reforming rituals in order to receive God and the Spirit in the everyday.
It is in practising these five acts that the church can move through anatheism, ana-ekklesia and
analeitourgia towards forming part of a greater community of faith that is grounded in people’s everyday lives and contexts, and in the work of the Holy Spirit.
Churchless millennial Christians’ prayers may seem conventional, but the generation, by
staying away from conventional church (buildings), is implicitly extending a profound
invitation to the church. It is an invitation to reconsider the God whom Christians worship
(anatheism), the identity and forms of the church (ana-ekklesia) and the acts and spaces that
serve as meeting grounds with God (analeitourigia). It is our suggestion that a culture of notknowing
(a lex non credendi), of reforming and of rituality can make worship with this “lost”
generation possible.
